Sat 16 Sep 2023 12:30 – 17:00
Concert Hall, RDS, Dublin 4
With the government’s recently published “Hate Speech” Bill proving to be the most controversial piece of legislation in recent Irish history, many are deeply concerned over the state of free speech and encroaching censorship in our country.
In response to this legislation, Free Speech Ireland and Gript invite all to attend a conference and seminar featuring a variety of expert speakers who will explain why this censorship is happening, where it is coming from, and what we can do to defeat it.
Speakers include:
- Michael Shellenberger – Author and Public Relations Professional
- Niall Boylan – Radio Presenter and host of The Niall Boylan Podcast
- Helen Joyce – Author and Journalist
- Kevin Sharkey – Irish Artist
- John McGuirk – Editor of Gript
- Senator Sharon Keogan – Irish Independent Senator
- Laoise Uí Aodha DeBrun BL – The Countess
- Ben Scallan – Broadcaster for Gript
- Stella O’Malley – Psychotherapist
Doors open at 12:30pm with event set to conclude at 5pm.
Freedom of Speech is a human right fundamental to the functioning of any true democracy, all attempts to take this right away must be emphatically rejected.
LOCATION
Concert Hall, RDS, Dublin 4
Buy tickes here
https://www.tickettailor.com/events/freespeechireland/979702
GOLD and SILVER Gript Subscribers can avail of Free Tickets, which will be emailed to you.
Michael Shellenberger
Michael Shellenberger is a leading American investigative journalist. An author of the Twitter Files, he uncovered evidence of collusion between social media giants and governments. Running for the governship of California in 2022, he finished 3rd as the leading independent candidate.
Helen Joyce
Helen Joyce is author of “TRANS: When Ideology Meets Reality”, (recently reissued as “Trans: Gender Identity and the New Battle for Women’s Rights”). A Times of London and Spectator book of the year, it received endorsements from, among others, Daniel Dennett (“A sane, humane book”), Lionel Shriver (“Utterly unintimidated by extremist orthodoxy”) and Richard Dawkins (“Thoroughly researched, passionate and very brave”).
Between 2005 and 2022 Helen worked at The Economist in a variety of jobs, including education correspondent; Brazil correspondent (based in São Paulo), International editor, Finance editor and Britain editor. She has a bachelor’s degree from Trinity College Dublin, a Master’s from Cambridge and a PhD from University College London, all in mathematics.
Helen now works as Director of Advocacy for Sex Matters, a human-rights organisation that campaigns for sex-based rights. Her independent journalism and subscription newsletter can be found on her website: thehelenjoyce.com. She has a regular column in the Critic magazine and tweets @hjoycegender.
Niall Boylan
Niall has been described as fearless, controversial, insightful, compassionate and yes, even funny! But be warned, he may cause your blood to boil.
The Niall Boylan Show is the home of Late Night and Daytime Talk Radio in Ireland for many years. Every weekday at midday Niall provides Classic Hits Radio in Ireland with breaking stories, news & current affairs with social and topical debates, interviews with politicians, people in the news, guests, and real people with real life stories. Niall has been known to ask the questions nobody else in media will ask but the questions you want to know the answers to.
Niall became a public figure in 1998 on Dublin’s 98FM having worked on Dublin’s FM104 as a reporter and journalist in 1996. His charisma, raw talent and unfiltered attitude to the nation’s top stories garnered him media attention and recognition as one of Ireland’s top broadcasters who never shies away from the truth. In 2011 he made the move to Ireland’s Classic Hits as the presenter of his own talk show called The Niall Boylan Show. It was from here his fan base grew exponentially and before long he was making TV appearances on ITV’s Good Morning Britain with Piers Morgan, The Tonight Show on Virgin Media and The Cutting Edge on Ireland’s national broadcaster RTÉ. Niall has made guest appearances on radio stations across Ireland, the UK and the United States, even getting a mention from Mr Ben Shapiro and many other media commentators around the world. Throughout the years Niall has proved himself to be a highly skilled journalist and broadcaster who will stop at nothing to bring the facts of the stories to the public.
Within the last seven years he has achieved over a 200% increase in reach figures (JNLR Independent Irish Radio Ratings), received five PPI Radio Awards (Yearly Irish Industry Awards including “Speech Broadcaster Of The Year”) and four World Radio Awards including twice winning the prestigious Gold Award for “International Best Scheduled Talk Show” at the New York World Radio Awards 2017 and 2019.
Niall has provided Media Training and advice to many high profile people and is often in high demand for his talents and services. Niall is a great believer in Free Speech but does understand and appreciate the boundaries of the Radio Broadcasting guidelines in Ireland and around the world. This is why Niall has now decided to open his own site and internet version of his show without those restrictions and boundaries
John McGuirk
John is the Editor of Gript. A writer, media commentator and one-time activist with many years of experience, he is well known for having worked on several high profile referendum campaigns in Ireland, most prominently the Lisbon referenda of 2008 and 2009, and the abortion referendum of 2018. He is a regular commentator on Irish broadcast media. He lives in County Tipperary with his wife Orla, and their cocker spaniel, Izzy.
Freedom of speech is more than just a concept. It is the most fundamental of freedoms – because if you cannot use your own voice, or express your own thoughts, for fear of punishment, then you are not your own master. Your very tongue is at the service of others. The right to say what you think, to communicate your thoughts to others, is at the core of being human – which is why it is always first to go when tyrants take over. No Government that jailed people for saying things has ever been fondly remembered – and none ever will be.
Stella O’Malley
Stella O’Malley, Psychotherapist
As a psychotherapist I couldn’t be more protective of free speech as it is the cornerstone of good mental health. People need to think through their thoughts without impediment so that they can reach more developed conclusions; without the freedom to speak freely, we lose the freedom to think clearly.
When we are in conflict, speech is all we have at our disposal – without it, conflict is more likely to lead to violence. However, free speech is not only essential for wellbeing – it is of course a fundamental for democracy as if we are not at liberty to say what we think about our political leaders then we aren’t living in a democracy.
LAOISE Ui AODHA DE BRÚN
Laoise de Brún BL is a barrister, broadcast journalist and IBCLC lactation consultant married with three children. She is the founder and CEO of the gender critical organisation The Countess which advocates for women and children in Ireland.
The Countess had been campaigning against hate speech legislation since its first iteration three years ago. They ran a joint campaign with Radicáilin in 2020, briefings for TDs and Senators, a rally outside the Dáil as well as infostalls in towns and cities all over Ireland thus taking their message to the grassroots.
“Hate crime legislation has been disastrous in our neighbouring and other jurisdictions. It poses a radical paradigm shift: no longer will it be up to the State to prove that you are guilty: it will be up to you, to prove that you are innocent. This bill dismantles two pillars of any liberal democracy: freedom of Expression and the presumption of innocence. And it does so purely at the behest of unelected and unrepresentative activists and NGOs. Nobody outside the rarefied bubble wants it.”
KEVIN SHARKEY
Irish artist, Kevin Sharkey is one of Ireland’s most successful artists.
He is a lifelong political activist and in 2018 Sharkey ran for a nomination for the Irish Presidency and later withdrew citing corruption of the entire political process.
Sharkey’s campaign slogan was “Make Ireland Fair Again”, a direct result of his belief that globalisation had created a government filled with politicians, who were only interested in money and power, and not in the welfare of the Irish people, making decisions without really listening to what the people want.
It was Sharkey’s intent was not only to voice his political standing on key issues, but to get people to “think for themselves”.
Sharon Keogan
Ben Scallan
